What do you do to improve your mental health?

Dear Sadiq,
You ask about positive things we do to support and improve our mental health and I appreciate the opportunity to respond to the questions.
I believe we all do the best possible within our capacity to keep ourselves in balance, but there is an urgent need for a reduction in the negative impacts on individuals, on families and on communities, of so much local council decision making. There needs to be a change in how the local and national political class so often enact their duties towards us as if we do not count... that is how it feels.
I believe the time is now for collaboration between communities and their elected representatives so that we no longer have decisions and planning made for us but decisions made with us.
Please please bring Citizen Assembly or any type of deliberative assembly into London Council decision making process .. it will help shift the current disconnect and distrust between decision makers and those who are impacted by the decisions.

1. For my own mental health
Getting on a bus and looking out the window, just enjoying the views.
Listening to the radio.
Having the opportunity to express myself creatively, politically and all points between.

2. To feel connected
Being given the opportunity to express my views on community decisions: being genuinely consulted by my Council, my Mayor, my MP. I am deeply disappointed with the lack of or 'pretend' community consultation from Lambeth Council.
Being engaged in an activity/talk/event with a group of people of different backgrounds and finding common values and interests.
Singing in a choir, playing an instrument (uke/recorder) together.

3. For my community
Contributing in different ways to the well being of others, being kind, volunteering.

Enjoy walking at least one hour a day , find a job or volunteer this will improve your wellbeing, it’s so important to be positive despite the hard life we are facing especially with the rent increase, so to avoid and help your mental just stay positive walk around and try to help yourself.

Go to the gym as much as I can. Encourage my friends to join me. Go for walks and speak up my mind.

Not travelling on the tube. With the screeching, and the begging and the unbearable heat.

Horses. Even just heading down to your local stables and petting them will improve your sense of well-being.

Local authorities introducing thoughtful policy. As a Redbridge council tenant I am so tired of the short sighted decision making - making our lives miserable on the estate.

A person's mental well-being is also very important. Mental well-being is related to the mind where positive thinking, contentment, respect for others, gratefulness, patience, sympathy and understanding for others emerge. If the above Values are missing in the mind then happiness and peace will not be there, and mental well-being will be at a low ebb. For example, if a person lives with his family in a comfortable secure housing, but each member of the household has his own independent ideas, likes and dislikes – and only gives importance to his own thoughts and ideas and does not appreciate others’ viewpoints – the result will be argument and unhappiness in the family. Divorce, abuse and separation will take place as there is no understanding for one another in the family – and mental well-being of the members will be in turmoil.

In order to spread a peaceful, stable and happy mental well-being, the following considerations should be made:

To know and understand what mental well-being is, and on which Values mental well-being has its foundation,

To understand the importance of mental well-being,

To understand that mental well-being depends on one’s relationship with other human beings,

To know how to strengthen human relationships,

To know that understanding others’ viewpoint and having respect for others is the first step in building any human relationship,

To understand that helpful and selfless service towards others, is the key to developing a stable and lasting human relationship, which in turn will provide a stable mental well-being to both the giver and the receiver,

To know that mental well-being can stop violence and crime in society,

The Council should provide opportunities and pointers for selfless service, for volunteers to render such service.

I have been suffering with mental health issues for more than 10 years. Normally I don't think about it every day although the medication I take does affect my physical health negatively. When I feel down and negative about my health, my family members would always remind me to stay positive. There are some famous people out there such as John Nash the winner of Nobel Prize for mathematics who suffered from mental health issues for decades and he managed to live until his nineties while making numerous achievements. I always looked up to strong people like him and I think if he managed to live a successful and relatively happy family life I will be able to do the same. I am very grateful that I have my family members for my support and also some good co-workers that support and inspire me. I believe having a sense of purpose is very important: I can be a role model of resilience for other people in similar situation to me.

The only connection I have is via online groups, neighbour noise group to share our horrific lived experience and despair. A strong recommendation is quicker enforcement of law. My tenant has not paid rent since November and had notice to vacate by the 6th November 2021, I lost the sale of my property and I have been told I could wait another 12 weeks for a hearing, the result is that I have had no money since the rent has stopped being paid and am stuck unsupported whilst the tenant has taken my property, not responding to my estate agent and not paying any rent and there is nothing I can do. Can the legal system not delegate the power and decision for eviction and bailiffs to another body which is faster for cases where all the requirements have been met by the landlord (gas safety, tenancy agreements section 21 and 8... etc) ?

Talking to friends and family and engaging in an online neighbour noise support group about the neighbour noise and ASB issues I face and the negative impact it has had and is continuing to have on my health and well being and impacting every part of my life. I am trying to engage with appropriate and necessary agencies to try tackle the problem and get support and propose changes to law and hold on to life and my job (council/MP/police/employer/NAS).

problems sleeping
losing interest in things you used to enjoy
being tearful, irritable or restless
feeling tired
changes in appetite
negative thoughts and feelings.
I suffer with all of the above and there is no help out there my doctors could not care less and my mental health has declined so excuse me for not celebrating great metal health day which to me is insensitive and offensive I wish that I had never been born in to this world if I knew what it would be like

Update the Law of Noise rules - it's still set in the 90's and the technology has involved since.
For 14 years with the local council to to do something regarding noisy neighbours - this shot my bad thoughts of self harm/harm to others during lockdown.

Able to use recording devises as evidence of the noise - the council team never are quick enough to get to the area to witness.
To provide recording devices on the premises to record the noise - the website says they do but in reality they don't
To prosecute those noisy neighbours without solicitor/court fees- they pay if found guilty.

Council should be able to help the police (the police have far more important things to do) as in have more law authority to give warning, report, arrest etc

Again do the research as this is a huge issue in regards to mental health and take a poll - you'll be surprised how many have suffered/suffering

I personally feel public transport needs to become more quiet! First thing on a Monday morning, before a coffee you hear everyones 'private' conversation and peoples music on speaker (what's all that about?) or Apple's earphones which are very poorly made are louder on the outside rather than producing inside the ear.
Unless the phone call is absolutely urgent, then by all means. I'm personally having a hard time listening to everybody else. Either the beginning of work or winding down at the end of the day. It should be treated like a library. And repetitive advertisements need to remind people to be more considerate of other peoples space.
When I bring the subject up, other people agree of all ages. That alone can make you irritable and restless. and it doesn't help those who suffer with mental health issues. Some are the beginning of isolating in ones home - please do the research
Having my own earphones to drown the noise wouldn't even cover the loudness.
Some people no longer able to enjoy reading their book either.

It can also cause arguments, witnessed this myself when someone politely asked to turn down their speakers. This shouldn't be causing fights thus anxiety not just for the person asking but those around.

What is going to be done about this please?

Remove illegal immigrants, violent criminals, and fake "refugees" exploiting genuine humanitarian crises. I don't think crossing 7 safe countries into the UK qualifies someone as genuine.
The existing levels of crime and social discord from the groups I've mentioned are the basis of stress and concern for myself and many; raising a faily surrounded by these people is not suitable and the the risk these illegal groups represent cannot be overlooked.
A number of violent incidents have already taken place, including infants and toddlers being murdered in parks by such groups.

My mental health would be improved by cutting the rubbish involved in joining this group. What is the silly animal picture for? Why is it mandatory? What is an avatar anyway? Preventing mental health is about education of everybody; to understand how to look after your Brain and your body. Also focus on quality housing and adequate support to live securely. Bring back Sure Start type support to enable parents to help their children to thrive AND to improve their own wellbeing. STOP building flats without proper green spaces or places to meet and 'commune'. Otherwise these are not homes they are prisons. or people storage containers. Obviously none of this will happen! No money! No powers!

Direct engagement to motivte us. Too few, ALL inclusive communal exercise events. As a PT/Martial Arts instructor I believe a little non-contact pugilistic sweat would at least put a plaster on the proverbial oxygenated mental health blood loss. #FortFit

I’ve been trying for the last month to join a local authorities leisure facility. For swimming and senior fitness. Tower Hamlets has very little to offer. The Young at Heart Sessions are no more. Now it’s a £30 (ish) per month fee. Either closed or not available for seniors. I’ve had some very strange looks and answers from reception staff at the centres too and just told ‘It’s all on line’. So much for us seniors to keep healthy!!! And if you can’t manage to go ‘on line’ forget it.